If you would like to be able to decide which schools your kid(s) attend, the doctors they see when they are sick, or which after-school and weekend activities your kids participate in, this is an important distinction for you to consider.

AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB)February 13, 2018

The beginning of the year is reportedly the most popular time of year to file for divorce. In fact, January is ominously nicknamed “Divorce Month” in legal circles. Divorce can be a painful decision, and many people, once they’ve decided to separate, have little to no idea what to do moving forward. But why is this important?

“If you would like to be able to decide which schools your kid(s) attend, the doctors they see when they are sick, or which after-school and weekend activities your kids participate in, this is an important distinction for you to consider,” said family law attorney Carolyn H. Young, founder of the Law Office of Carolyn H. Young.

To educate couples seeking divorce, Ms. Young lists the following five tips on what to decide:

No. 1: Decide who makes the decisions going forward. Typically, the courts would

prefer both parents be equally responsible for these decisions. “But in the case where parents are unable to agree, the court may place the responsibility of these decisions with a single parent,” noted Ms. Young.

No. 2: Decide who gets the children and when. Again, the importance of this decision is paramount. “How you make that schedule least disruptive for the kids is the most important part of this decision,” stressed Ms. Young. “You cannot afford to be selfish. You must take into consideration how a schedule might impact their emotional well-being.”

No. 3: Decide who pays child support and health insurance. “Just because you have visitation with your child or children half of the available time does not necessarily mean you are not responsible to pay child support and health insurance,” claimed Ms. Young. “The courts will help determine what works best for the family based on today’s circumstances — the ability to earn from one parent to the other and how that impacts the family’s overall finances.”

No. 4: Decide who gets what assets. This is usually a tough decision, as some people can be emotionally attached to certain assets. “Discussing who gets what early in the settlement proceedings is important to make sure everyone agrees before they see the division of assets in writing and are caught off guard,” said Ms. Young.

No. 5: Decide who gets which debts. Typically, the courts would prefer to see debts pass to the party that is keeping the asset associated with that debt; for example, auto loans. “In the case of a home loan, this may not be possible if the party who ‘gets the house’ does not have the income to cover the associated loan and expenses,” concluded Ms. Young. “The other party may assume these expenses for a period of time agreed upon in the settlement. Once that time period ends and if the income situation is still as before, the house may need to be sold to make new housing arrangements for the future.”

About Carolyn H. Young, Law Office of Carolyn H. Young

Carolyn H. Young has been a family law sole practitioner in central Texas for more than 23 years. Practice areas of The Law Office of Carolyn H. Young include divorce, child custody and child support agreements and modifications, spousal support or maintenance, domestic violence, paternity, grandparents’ rights, prenuptial agreements, adoption and attorney general cases. For more information, call (512) 481-0900, or visit http://www.carolynyounglaw.com. The law office is located at 3508 Far West Blvd., Suite 190, Austin, TX 78731.

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